Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of testing integrated circuits. For example, the testing of integrated circuits used in automotive applications.
Description of the Related Art
Integrated circuits may be tested at the end of the manufacturing process to verify the correct operation of the integrated circuits. For example, scan patterns may be loaded into the flip-flops of an integrated circuit and the outputs of the integrated circuit may be verified, for example by using a scan chain of the integrated circuit and a dedicated machine external to the integrated circuit.
Integrated circuits also may be tested by a device including the integrated circuit. For example, an integrated circuit of a computer may be tested upon start-up of the computer. Scan patterns may be generated and loaded into flip-flops of the integrated circuit and the outputs of the integrated circuit may be verified, for example by using scan chains of the integrated circuit and dedicated circuitry of the integrated circuit or of the computer.
Integrated circuits may also fail during operation. For example, a unit may fail due to a hardware failure (e.g., transistor failures, open/short circuits, delay faults) due to aging, overheating, etc., a soft error (e.g., a high energy particle), etc. Thus, integrated circuits also may be tested periodically during operation.